Detectives Doe and Lark: Beauty
by ThisUserOverHere
Summary: A spin on the age old classic. Kidnapping, murder and two detectives who can't decide who wants to be the good cop or the bad cop. Try identifying your favorite Beauty and the Beast characters and figure out the bigger picture...
1. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Intro

_This is my first story. EVER._ _Well, excluding school stuff and an odd essay or two. But who cares!_

 _Anyway, please be gentle (pls)._

* * *

Introduction

"Ah, detective." Lt. Andrews looked up from his desk as a woman entered his office. "Please, have a seat."

Detective Aubrey Lark. The precinct's newest addition, transferred recently from a place nobody cared for or bothered to ask. Her long, jet black braid and imposing figure made you look, her steel gaze made you wish you didn't. If this didn't grab your attention, her attitude towards the precinct's priorities, did. She took a seat beside the only other guest in the room.

"You may have heard of our community's recent increase in crime. We have a city riddled in petty theft and armed robberies. We have doubled patrols, ensured our police force is visible and alert at all times and to be honest detective," he paused and gave her a look that will make every rookie run back to the Academy, "we do not need division in our ranks. Yes, I heard of your little outburst about our 'misplaced priorities'. From now on you and detective Doe will work on all the cases we normal humans can't be bothered to look at, did I get that quote right?"

What his voice did not make up in sarcasm, his face did in anger.

"Sir, I apo -"

"Detective Doe will brief you on the details. Let's be perfectly clear detective Lark, this unit was created to keep you out of my face. Dismissed."

* * *

 _She always liked campus at night. The soft night wind, stirring the age old oak trees. The streetlamps bathing the gardens in soft light, making the harsh angles of the modern library seem less out of place. The library was renovated a year ago, a turning point in the university's new modern approach. Apparently bright lights and state of the art computers were what students wanted, not the musty, old, book lovers den she was so fond of._

 _Panic seized her as hands grabbed her from behind. By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. The last thing she felt as she sank into unconsciousness, was the lurching of a vehicle, and rough hands holding her arms._

* * *

"I do believe we both made a friend today." Detective Doe reached out his hand, "Please, I'll feel better if we can at least get off on the right foot, Name's John."

"Aubrey. John Doe? Is this some sort of joke?" She glared at him.

"Well, my adoptive father thought it was funny and never bothered to change it. I didn't either." He gave her a half smile, "Truce?"

"Sure," She relaxed and shook his hand, "So, job description?"

"Quite simple really, we are assigned to the cases that takes too much effort to solve." He pulled out a file from underneath his arm, "Missing person case. Student missing for about six weeks now."

She took the file and opened it, "Well then, let's find Annabelle Edison."

* * *

 _Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, recommendations, etc etc etc_

 _I might just chuck the whole thing out and join a circus..._

 _*gets ready to add Chapter 1*_


	2. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Chapter 1

_So I'm adding this Chapter before I loose my nerves. Rest assured, if I do continue, a lovely waiting period will be installed for any cliff hanger moments and for my pleasure._

 _*smiles wickedly at screen*_

* * *

Chapter 1

 _She pretended to still be asleep. The rag dug into her mouth and her eyes watered from the dusty sack over her head. Her arms were tied behind her back, a dead weight beneath her body. Slowly she began filtering through sounds._

 _"Oh man, this is epic!"_

 _"Do you have any idea how this changes everything?! We'll be legends!"_

 _"Shut up. We're almost there."_

 _Silently, her fear turned into rage._

* * *

"Annabelle Edison. Other than her classmates thinking she was a bit weird, she was the model student."

Lark threw the file at Doe, grabbed a coffee and sat next to him in the small kitchen.

"Meaning?", he opened the file.

"How does a straight A student keep a record like this, volunteer at the local library, take care of her elderly father AND maintain the interest of the lead quarterback?" Lark gave him a quizzical look, "Like they said. Weird"

"Is that jealousy I sense, detective?" Doe grinned, "I'm sure you will be willing to let go of that lovely death stare for _this_ particular quarterback. Rich family, athletic, handsome face and a particular hobby for hunting -"

"Ok, I get it. Let's go."

* * *

"Gus Stetson? Detective Doe and Lark. Mind if we ask you a few questions?" Doe flashed his badge and took a step towards a couple of students lounging near the campus football field.

"Doe and Lark?", Gus Stetson sniggered and looked at his friends, "What's next? Bambi and Crowface?"

"Very funny Mr. Stetson. Just as funny as the disappearance of -"

"Whoa! Look at the bad cop!" Gus interrupted Lark and looked her over, "I would love to get your - "

"That's it."

She had him in a neck lock before he had time to make a comeback.

"I do believe you're onto something, detective." Doe reached out and reached into Gus's letterman jacket. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Seems like we'll have that chat after all."

Gus groaned as Doe showed Lark a small packet of white powder.

* * *

"Look, it was just a normal frat party prank. Nothing to it." Gus said.

Lark looked at him suspiciously, "I don't buy it. You get your friends to stage a mock kidnap, just so you can swoop in as the knight in shining armour to get Annabelle to like you? What happened after you showed yourself?"

"She left." Gus looked nervously at the table.

"Ah. But she didn't leave on her own, did she Gus?", Doe moved from the corner of the room and sat opposite Gus, "What you're saying is correlating perfectly with your previous statement. But let's be honest. You were a suspect, you were brought in for questioning and your rich daddy had a lovely lawyer. Since we didn't have evidence against you, you were on your way out, and Annabelle remains missing."

Lark raised her eyebrows at Doe, but he continued.

"You see Gus, things changed a bit since the last time you were here. For one thing, your daddy and his lawyer buddies are on a golf trip far, far away, and," Doe pulled out a photo of a bloody beer bottle, "we found evidence.", Gus wiped his forehead, "So, you can sit here and wait until someone bails you out, 'cause I do recall some possession charges we, unfortunately, have to deal with. Or, you can tell us what really happened and we can figure out a deal. Ok?"

Doe gave a cold smile. By the look on Gus's face, he didn't consider Lark as the bad cop anymore.

Gus cleared his throat, "The party already began when the van pulled up. Annabelle was furious when I uh … freed her. We weren't entirely sober. I went mad when she started screaming at me, calling me out in front of my friends. I snapped. I didn't hit her, I swear, but she fell and the bottles... She was still breathing when we dumped her in the woods."

Lark practically jumped on him, "Gus Stetson, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of – "

"Wait! I looked back," Gus turned pale, "I looked back. She wasn't alone. There was something there. Something huge."

* * *

 _Please leave a comment or whatever (please, I need ideas *sobs*)._

 _Qoheleth, as for your concerns, thank you. I've read your biography and agree that having a 'sister site' would benefit this community. This is, however, my first story and in waiting for the new site I will carry on unleashing my imagination, as this website encourages._

 _Sincerely,_

 _ThisUserOverHere_


	3. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Chapter 2

_Believe me, if it wasn't for the weather, I might have joined a circus. Cold, cloudy and perfect for lounging in bed the whole day long with a good book. Or in my case, attempting to write a story…_

 _*looks longingly at empty hot chocolate mug*_

* * *

Chapter 2

"You don't actually believe him? Do you?", Detective Doe stopped at Detective Lark's desk, "The crap about the 'something huge'?" He dragged a chair closer and sat facing her.

"Meh. They were all high on drugs and whatever, never mind the adrenaline of the kidnapping and dumping Annabelle." She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Congratulations with the interrogation by the way."

"Yeah, well. Gus Stetson is an arrogant jock with a serious ego problem."

Lark smirked at him, "Seems like someone else has jealousy issues. What's that you said earlier? Rich, athletic, handsome…?"

Doe took a sip of his coffee, "Detective, if you want some alone time with Hunky McIdiotFace, please, all you need to do is – "

"Get lost Doe. We have work to do. And thanks to Gus's brilliant revelation, we have another possible crime scene."

Doe laughed at her red face and got up to get his coat.

* * *

 _Fever and pain racked her brain. Snippets of earlier conversations, memories, ideas, all fled in and out of her mind._

 _"_ _What happened?"_

 _She recalled being furious and scared. Or was it disappointed? She couldn't remember._

 _"_ _My girl. I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice."_

 _That voice. Who was it? It sounded so familiar…_

 _"_ _Oh Dad. What have you done?"_

 _The memory gave way to restlessness and darkness._

* * *

The tar road carried on for a few miles into a wooded area, past a peaceful residential neighborhood, over a frozen river and ended in a cul-de-sac. They turned off onto a dirt track wide enough for a vehicle. It continued for a few hundred feet before narrowing into a hiking route.

"Well. We're here." Lark pulled up the handbrake and switched off the car.

"Just to be clear, I'm driving back." Doe gave a shudder and stepped onto the gravel.

"Not used to driving in manual, detective?"

"I wasn't talking about myself." He murmured beneath his breath.

"What's that Doe?"

"Nothing. Look," Doe pointed towards a tall birch tree, "that's where Gus said they dumped Annabelle."

Dead leaves crunched beneath their feet as they moved closer to the tree. The sun disappeared behind the oncoming clouds and a singing cardinal fell silent. A dark shape rushed towards them.

Lark sucked in her breath and drew her weapon. She stopped when she heard Doe laughing.

"Your face!" He was doubled over, trying to catch breath. "Ah this was fantastic!"

"What. The hell. Was that."

Doe almost choked on his laughter as he saw the cold rage in Lark's face. He cleared his throat and took a careful step away from her.

"That, was the last – or first, depending from which side you entered – scare from the Haunted Woods Exhibition. It's a popular hiking trail amongst students, especially around October."

"Please, do tell how you know this?" she asked in a very calm voice.

He looked at her, and with a grave face replied, "Internet.", then burst out laughing again. "You see, Detective Lark, sometimes snooping in the safety of your own home has its benefits as well."

"I'm guessing this was the thing Gus saw. And by using my superior detective skills, please pretend you are surprised, I can say that our Annabelle's body will not be here and probably wasn't here for some time, since this is", she looked at Doe, daring him to say anything, "a VERY popular hiking trail among students."

He wisely kept quiet and she continued, "I can also tell, by looking at the coverage on the ground, that there is a layer of leaves that is exactly six weeks old beneath the recent leaves. We might just find some clues."

"Your knowledge on leaf layers are exquisite."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy. Shall we have tea now?" She gave an exaggerated curtsy and stormed off, "I'm calling forensics, start digging. And I'M driving back!"

* * *

 _She felt, rather than saw, the snow. It must be the fever. It's not supposed to snow for a while yet. He said so._

 _No. That's the fever talking. She's alone._

 _They'll be back soon. She tried opening her eyes, but sank back into sleep instead._

* * *

Lark found Doe as he stood silently looking at the birch tree.

"Consider this, Gus and his gang dumps Annabelle close to the base of the tree. They don't trigger the motion sensor coming in, but they do while going away, hence 'the thing'. Meanwhile, she's removed by someone. Not a wild animal, we would have found evidence of a struggle, dragging, or some tracks.", he walked around the tree, "No. She was picked up. Lifted by someone larger, maybe two people, she was a dead weight. One would need support -"

Doe stopped short, "The tree, it's Birch. It has a soft bark, shows marks very easily."

Lark peered closer to the tree, "It looks normal. But, if you would use it to support yourself while picking someone else up," she crouched down, "we might need to look a bit lower." She paused, "Well, seems like scuff marks."

"Dust some powder over there. A bit to your left, yeah." Doe took out a UV light.

"Well done Detective Lark, seems like we found some fingerprints."

* * *

"Lab results came back. We found a match." Lark dropped the file onto Doe's desk, "Prints belongs to Lucien Cote, immigrated from Quebec a few years ago, and the hair – "

"Hair?" Doe frowned.

"Yes, I'm also able to find clues, you know." She gave him a haughty look, "The hair belongs to Ben Cogswell. I found their addresses."

Doe took the file, "Let's pay Lucien Cote and Ben Cogswell a visit, shall we?"

* * *

 _Please forgive me if this story strays (a lot) from the classic._

 _I really can't help it._

 _Leave any comments/suggestions/money, I will welcome them with open arms…_


	4. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Chapter 3

_I sincerely_ _apologize_ _for the delay. This story is like cheese, it only gets better with time. Also the lesser of two evils if you had to choose between old cheese and a rotten egg :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

 _She slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark, the only light shone through the slightly open door. She tried sitting up, but immediately felt a hand against her shoulder, pushing her back._

 _"Lie back down, you're still weak."_

 _"Where am I?"_

 _She heard no answer, only felt her body responding to the pull of sleep._

* * *

Detective John Doe walked towards the precinct. He pulled his coat tighter, the first snow that fell a few nights ago, melted into grey puddles, making the city look depressing and cold. He missed the simplicity of his childhood home. The country summer air and the thick snow blankets around Christmas. Here, the festive season was just a hollow echo, replacing the gory Halloween decorations with fake pine trees and annoying jingle bell songs.

He was just about to step into the building when the loud roar of a motorcycle made him jump back. The bike pulled up beside him. A long black braid fell over her shoulder as she pulled the helmet free.

"Made you jump, Doe?" Detective Aubrey Lark smirked.

"Normal people use the subway. Or the bus. Not this hellish piece of metal you call transportation."

"Oh, have some fun John. You're so dry." She kicked out her bike stand and looked at him, his face looking suspiciously sulky, "Aww, having a blue Monday?"

He sniffed, "As a matter of fact, _Aubrey,_ I have a cold." He rubbed his hands together, "Now, are we going to stand here and wait for your biker gang to show up, or can we go inside?"

She smirked and opened the precinct's door.

They walked towards their desks. A few of their colleagues greeted them, but kept out of their way.

"You know, Lark, half of the people working here thinks you're supposed to be in some kind of modelling magazine," Doe pointed at her black leather jacket and boots, "and the other half thinks you belong in jail."

"Your superior detective skills Doe?" She made a show of taking off her jacket.

"No, just the men-women gossiping ratio in the coffee room."

"If only you knew what the ladies think of you…"

Doe paused and glared at her, "I'm not falling for that again, Lark. I made an utter fool of myself after asking Jenny out on a date- "

"You did what?!" Lark's face contorted as she tried not to laugh.

"You said she liked me, what you didn't say," he pulled a stack of files closer, "was that she's married."

She burst out laughing, "Call it the revenge of the Haunted Woods."

He opened a file, "Have your laugh, I'll solve the case. Just like my Friday nights. Alone."

Lark wiped tears from her eyes, "I'll always be your partner, Doe. Even with your grumpy cold."

"Yeah well, you're an awful wingwoman."

* * *

"Ben Cogswell, open up." Lark banged on the door. They stood outside a small colonial type house on the outskirts of a town east of the city. The address for Lucien Cote turned out to be an empty flat, abandoned for more than a month.

Lark was just about to bang on the door again when it opened. A short, round man in a brown jacket looked up at them. He had a small mustache and a middle part and looked very confused. "Yes?"

"Mr. Cogswell, may we come in?" Lark flashed her badge.

"Yes, yes. Of course." He opened the door and stepped aside. He led them to a sitting room.

"Mr. Cogswell, we have reason to suspect that you were on the scene of a crime involving the disappearance of Annabelle Edison." Doe showed him a picture of Annabelle.

Ben took the photo, "Belle? Is she missing? When?"

"Almost seven weeks now, she – "

"I'm sorry, seven?" Ben shook his head, "That's impossible, I saw her about a month ago. Except for being a little sick, she was fine."

Doe and Lark looked at each other. Doe sat a bit forward in his chair. "Mr. Cogswell -Ben- how did you meet Annabelle?"

* * *

 _Sunlight steamed through the window. She's only been awake for a few minutes when someone knocked on the door. It was a funny little man. He smiled at her and took her blood pressure. He took out a stethoscope and pressed it against her chest. "Breath in. And out. Again."_

 _He took out a small pen light, checked her eyes and throat, made a note and smiled at her again._

 _"You're looking much better. Your breakfast will be here soon. I'll check up on you again tonight, in the meanwhile, try to rest." He squeezed her hand and left._

* * *

Ben Cogswell poured three cups of tea and placed sugar and cream in front of them.

"I studied medicine at Oxford and a few months after graduating, came to live here. I had a practice, received my citizenship and had a fairly satisfying life." Ben sat and stirred his tea, "A few years ago, I was approached by a company. More like a charity, really. They saw an opportunity in the student community for students in need, the students who fall on hard times and find themselves in a bad position without funds or family close by." He took a sip and continued, "Their services range from legal counsel, to – in my case – medical aid."

Doe shook his head, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his nose, "This all seems really noble, but what do they want from students?"

"Once they graduate, they become part of a larger community. They have a whole network to make use of. Job and career opportunities. In turn, they offer their services and a portion of their income."

Lark placed her cup on the table and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "It sounds too good to be true."

Ben shrugged, "What's the difference between that and a bursary or apprenticeship? That's how I met Belle. We received an anonymous tip. She was unconscious and suffering from hypothermia when my colleague and I found her."

"Lucien Cote?"

"Yes. I nursed her for about two weeks before she regained all her strength. When she was better, I left for my next patient."

Doe leaned forward, "Were you aware that Miss Edison was reported missing after the night you found her?"

"That's impossible. I was told that her next of kin, university and roommate was notified of her whereabouts."

Lark crossed her arms and stared at Ben. Doe pulled out a note book, "Apparently not. I need you to tell me everything you know about this…charity. Names, addresses, and where you treated Miss Edison. Who gave you her information?"

Ben nervously looked at Lark and cleared his throat, "It's on a need to know basis only. Patient confidentiality and all that."

"Need I remind you, _Doctor_ , that this is an open police investigation, and so far, you were the last person to see Annabelle Edison. Do you realise how this will look for you if she's found dead?" Doe's voice turned cold.

"You have a choice to make, Cogswell." Lark's eyes narrowed.

Ben gulped and took a breath, "I last saw her in Village Boulevard – "

Ben Cogswell stopped mid-sentence as a large window shattered. Doe pushed Lark to the ground, trying to cover their exposed heads from the raining glass, then pulled away and sprinted towards the window.

Lark crawled towards Ben, "Doe, he's been shot! I'm calling for backup -"

As Doe ran into the street, a car sped past him. Still running, he pulled out his weapon and fired. The car swerved as one of its rear tires blew apart, heading straight for a large sycamore tree where it came to a sudden, crumpled stop.

* * *

 _She didn't know how long she's been there. It could be days, weeks even. The only concept of time was her meals. Extraordinary dishes served by a tall, thin man with a rather long nose. He kept her company while she ate and after finding out about her studies, conversed with her in French._

 _Lucien, together with Dr Cogswell, cared for her, fed her, and helped her to the bathroom. They were obviously not in charge, only pawns in the game. Servants._

 _So, she waited. Rested, and gathered her strength._

* * *

Doe slumped at his desk. After the adrenaline rush of the afternoon and all the paperwork, he looked bad, and he felt worse. The bandage over the cut on his forehead, where a piece of glass was removed, throbbed with his headache. At least Lark only had slight bruising on her arms. Probably because he pushed her too hard. Another lovely thought to add to the others.

He mentally kicked himself. If only he acted quicker, ran faster, maybe had a better shot –

"Stop it." Lark plopped down across from him, "It wasn't your fault. You had no idea this would happen."

"You do realize our lead suspect killed our only source of information and I," he gave an incredulous laugh, "killed him?"

"You didn't, it was his own stupidity and a tree. You just happened to blow his tire. That led him to the tree"

She gave a small smile and he shook his head, "You really have no tact, whatsoever."

"As for Ben, there was nothing we could do. His body couldn't handle the shock. At least we know who the assassin was." Lark pulled a photo out of her jacket, "Lucien Cote. Ben's so called colleague. I did some digging. You'll never guess where he worked."

Doe sneezed, sniffed indifferently and took the photo, "A pharmacy, I hope."

Lark smiled, "A hotel, on the corner of 22nd and Village Boulevard."

* * *

 _Finally! You think, dear reader. Finally, some action! A murder!_

 _And then you realize who the characters were…_

 _Again, I sincerely apologize._


	5. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Chapter 4

_Yeah… let's just call it writer's block…_

 _*searches another series to binge*_

* * *

Chapter 4

"Detectives." Lt. Andrews' voice was cold.

"Sir."

Detectives Doe and Lark waited. The lieutenant had a habit of standing with his back to anyone inside his office, facing the window. The early morning light shone through, creating the illusion of an ominous dark figure, a force to be reckoned with.

"I do believe my instructions were quite clear." Lt. Andrews slowly turned around, "Solve the cases nobody wants," His gaze turned to Lark, "and stay out of my face."

Andrews slowly made his way to his desk, running his hand over the mahogany. Adjusting a paper, moving a pen. Prolonging the suspense. And he loved every minute of it.

"And yet, here we are." He sat on his leather chair and folded his hands.

Lark rolled her eyes. She stood with her arms crossed and didn't look impressed with the lieutenant's theatrics. Her long black braid swayed in time while her foot tapped impatiently.

Doe, on the other hand, was staring at a small, black spider crawling on the lieutenants' desk lamp.

"Not only did you cause an international incident with Canada," Andrews brought his fist down on the table, hard. The spider lost its footing and for a second, hung suspended between heaven and earth. Heaven being the lieutenants' desk lamp, and earth, his coffee mug. His face turned an ugly shade of red and his mustache quivered, "but you also got the press breathing down my neck!"

Silently, almost in slow motion, the spider fell, and with a small plop, sank beneath the coffee.

"I want this case solved. ASAP!" Andrews took hold of his coffee and brought it to his lips. The mug's rim disappeared under his bushy mustache. Doe held his breath. Slowly the spider climbed onto the hairy platform, looking quite at home on the lieutenants' upper lip.

Doe tried masking his laughter with a cough. It didn't work. Instead, he made a sound between a gurgle and a bark. The noise was so sudden that both Lt. Andrews and Lark looked at Doe in shock.

Doe cleared his throat and calmly said, "Will that be all, sir?"

* * *

 _"Lucien, why am I here?"_

 _She took the mug from Lucien's hands. Hot chocolate, her favorite. She always liked the hot treat, but Lucien made it extra special with a few drops of mint extract. He knew how hard this situation was on her, especially now that Cogswell wasn't visiting anymore._

 _Lucien sighed and straitened her bed covers. "All in good time, ma petite Belle."_

 _He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand in his, "Promise me you won't do anything stupid."_

 _She gave an incredulous laugh and pulled away from him, "Lucien. I don't know where I am. Why I'm here, or what I did to offend the Dream – ", She shuddered, "You need to help me get out, to escape."_

 _"I wish I could."_

 _He brushed her cheek with his hand, stood up, and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to exit, he looked around, "You need to be strong, Belle. They're powerful. They…"_

 _He shook his head and left._

* * *

"So, this is 'The Village Inn'?" Lark asked. Doe whistled.

They stood before a tall building. The sun reflected from the glass and gold facades, creating a beaming tower of light. That is, until the sun moved behind heavy, snow laden clouds, turning the building into a dull ghost of its previous splendor. Doe shuddered, somehow feeling uneasy about what's to come.

The interior was breath taking. The furniture consisted of rich, red velvet, dark leather and ebony. The walls were bathed in soft, warm light, cast by glittering chandeliers.

They were still admiring their surroundings when a young woman approached them.

"May I help you?" She wore a tight pencil skirt, four inch heels and a small circular pendant on a long, dainty chain, emphasizing her very revealing blouse. Her blond hair hung in a high pony tail down her back and ruby studs glinted in her ears.

Doe opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't remember why they were there. Lark elbowed Doe, but he was useless.

She sighed and took out her badge. "Detective Aubrey Lark, and this Neanderthal," she glared at Doe, "is detective John Doe."

Doe cleared his throat, "Uh yes, we have a few questions concerning Lucien Cote."

The blond barely glanced at Lark, "Quite a shock, hearing about Lucien. My sisters and I were quite fond of him." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and looked away.

"Sorry for your loss, miss…?" Doe pulled out his handkerchief. She took it and smiled sadly.

"Please, call me Ruby." She asked them to follow her. "I'm only the head of the hospitality department, my sister is head of staff. You'd be better off speaking with her."

Ruby led them down a corridor, stopped at a door, knocked three times and giggled, "Our little secret code." Almost immediately the door swung open. It was as if Ruby stood before a mirror. The woman was identical in every aspect, except for her green earrings.

The two women squealed and threw their arms around each other, jumping in a small circle.

Lark raised an eyebrow, "Secret little hug?"

The other woman looked shocked and whispered loudly to Ruby, "Ruby, how do they know about our secret hug?"

Ruby whispered back, equally loud, "They're detectives, Emma."

Emma stared in admiration, "Detectives…", she looked at Doe and giggled, "Quite handsome too."

Lark looked at Doe, who was obviously enjoying the attention, and snorted, "Unbelievable." She pushed past the women and entered the office.

The office had the same rich layout and decor as the rest of the lobby, except for the multitude of vases overflowing with flowers and the bright pink office chair behind the desk. The air was heavy with the smell of a strawberry scented candle burning on the desk and some teenage pop sensation was blaring lyrics about society and love from the speakers in the corner.

Lark disgustingly plopped herself on a chair, desperate to get the interview over with. Doe, on the other hand, took his time and made all manners of small talk. He finally seated himself next to her and pulled out a note pad.

Just as he was about to ask his first question, someone else knocked on the door, three times. Ruby practically skipped to the door and threw it open. A third woman entered. As predicted, she was identical in all manner of dress and appearances. Except for the small yellow studs in her ears.

Giggles and squeals filled the office as the tree sisters hugged and jumped in a small circle. Doe's face beamed at the display, while Lark groaned out loud.

Finally, Ruby broke away, "You've met Emerald, we call her Emma, and this is our head of management and sister – "

Doe smiled, "Amber?"

All three sisters gasped, "How did you know?"

Lark rolled her eyes, "Girls, please, just answer a few questions so that we can leave and you can get on with your tea party."

Amber looked alarmed at Ruby and Emma, "She knows about the tea party?"

Lark slapped her forehead and silently screamed into her fist.

Doe, in a very wise and superior voice replied, "Ladies, we are detectives. And we are here to find out more about your colleague, Lucien Cote."

As Lark predicted, the heightened estrogen levels and fluffy feelings in the room caused mass hysteria and tears. She took one look at the running mascara, threw daggers at Doe with her eyes and left.

* * *

Doe found Lark in the lobby. She was standing in front a wall lined with paintings. As he approached her she turned around. "Ah. The hero returns. Please, do tell if the damsels in distress survived their ordeal?" Lark folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

Doe smiled and adjusted his tie, "Well, I must say. If it wasn't for my superior skills in taming the lesser sex, I might not have survived…"

"The lesser sex?! Do you even know how insulting that sounds?"

"Kind of like, what was that you said?" Doe smirked, "Ah yes, Neanderthal."

Lark narrowed her eyes, "Touché. Did you at least get something useful?"

"Lucien worked here for about three years as a chef for the restaurant as well as a private chef for," he pointed to a portrait, "Mr. Aston Hunter, owner of The Village Inn. Lucien resigned three weeks ago. That's the last they saw of him."

"That explains his abandoned flat." Lark frowned, "So he works with Cogswell to help Annabelle, Cogswell leaves, a week goes by and Lucien quits and disappears. Only to come back three weeks later to kill Cogswell. And in that time, Annabelle stayed here for three weeks with nobody reporting her whereabouts, only to disappear again. That doesn't make sense."

Doe sighed, "It gets worse. I showed them Annabelle's picture." Doe pulled a picture frame from beneath his jacket, "Apparently, Lucien, Cogswell and the girls share a common factor."

Lark took the frame. It depicted a group of well-dressed people of all ages, standing with champagne glasses and huge smiles on their faces. They all wore black suites and cocktail dresses, suggesting money and wealth.

Doe looked over Lark's shoulder, "Look at that top left corner, you can see Dr Cogswell. A few people to the right and you have Lucien Cote, and…"

Lark peered closer, "Is that…?"

"Yep, Annabelle Edison. At the Sumnium Foundation ball, three years ago."

* * *

 _She woke up with a pounding headache. Her throat felt thick and sore._

 _A cool cloth was on her forehead and a hand supported her neck as she tried to sip the water offered._

 _"Ma petite Bell, I'm so sorry. You will feel better." Lucien laid her back on the pillow, "You're not at the Village anymore."_

 _"Why?" She managed to croak a sound out._

 _"I…I had no choice…" He tried to hold her hand, but she pushed him away._

 _Angry tears slipped from her eyes, the salt mingling with the bitter chocolate betrayal._

 _He looked down, and with a heavy heart said, "You were summoned."_

* * *

 _What will happen next? Does this author even have a plan? And why did the chicken cross the road?_

 _Your guess is as good as mine…_


	6. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Chapter 5

_So for some reason I'm having trouble uploading and editing. Do forgive me if the format spazzes out._

 _Is 'spazzes' even a word?_

 _mmm..._

 _*contemplates meaning of life*_

* * *

Chapter 5

 _She's been confined to her new room for a week now. The narrow bed emphasizing the small room. The single window looked out onto a lake, a lonely landscape._

 _Lucien never came to see her again. She was relived, she couldn't bear looking him in the eyes. Secretly though, she missed his company. People came and went. Never saying anything, just dropping off meals or books._

 _She always ignored them, sitting at the window, staring at the snow slowly sifting down in silent whispers._

* * *

Detectives John Doe wrapped his hands around the paper coffee cup. It was almost empty, but the little warmth managed to seep through to his tired mind, thawing what's left of his brain. They have been sitting in the office for hours, trying to somehow break the case. He was trying to compile a time line, which didn't really help, they still have three weeks left unaccounted for.

The day at The Village Inn gave them so many leads to follow, but not enough manpower or resources to follow through. Not even the little media coverage following Ben's death helped. No one is interested in a missing case. No, some random cat video in Japan had more followers. Somehow the whole idea of arbitrary objects keeping the interest of millions of viewers for weeks on end made him sick.

He sighed and looked over to Aubrey's desk. Murders and terrorist attacks provide enough of a shock factor to keep the masses entertained. Missing person cases never ranked high on the priority index. Not if the person in question wasn't important enough. She was right. People aren't interested anymore.

He smiled. She was fast asleep on a pile of dossiers and loose papers. The pages scattered around her like a nest, her long hair escaping her braid like ruffled feathers, tangling in her necklace. Lark indeed. He shook his head. If he was becoming poetic, then it really must be getting late. He got up and walked towards her.

He was just about to wake her up when his gaze caught sight of a forgotten file peeping from underneath her desk. He stooped down and slowly pulled it out. The file was thin and dusty, probably lying there since the case files were dropped off.

"Morris Edison. Her father." Lark yawned, "I wondered where that file went to."

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake up you by snooping."

"Nah, I should anyway be heading home." She stood up and gave a long stretch, her messy braid falling against her back. "He was a suspect, but they cleared him."

"On what suspicion?" Doe opened the file.

"Well, apparently there where some incident, an arrest or two. He's in a mental hospital now, though." She took her jacket and pushed in her chair.

Doe frowned, "The Ark Sanatorium. Booked in a few years ago," he read a bit further, "three to be exact. Maybe she is locked up with him and nobody thought to tell us."

Lark laughed," How do you even reach a connection like that?"

He smirked, "I'm really tired." He paged though the pages, "Think we should visit him?"

"I don't see why we should. He's already cleared, and he has an awesome alibi. Besides, tomorrow's our day off and I'm making it a long weekend." She took the file and threw it on top of the others, "I'm going to my gran's."

"Whaaat? You have a family? Always thought you just crawled out of the precinct's pipes." Doe dodged a punch. He crumpled his cup and tossed into a nearby waste basket, while they walked towards the door. "Fine, we'll skip the field trip to Shutter Island."

Lark smiled triumphantly, "Yay!

* * *

 _A woman entered her room. She had a tall, large frame with a dark complexion, her black hair a curly crown around her head. Her light green dress clung to her curves as she walked towards her._

 _"Good morning Annabelle. My name is Amor." Her smile was friendly, "I'll be your image consultant to get you ready for your big day."_

 _Her stomach dropped. Her heart felt as if it's been squeezed to tightly. She's only heard rumors from hurried voices about being summoned. Those who returned never spoke of it, those who haven't…well._

 _"When?"_

 _Amor's rich voice made her nauseas, "Tomorrow."_

* * *

"Visiting hours was two and a half hours ago."

The lady at the desk looked at him disapprovingly over her wire rimmed spectacles. She had the countenance of a large troll waiting to gobble up the little goat crossing the bridge. Which in a way, he was. He breathed deeply before answering.

"Madam, for the third time. I am Detective John Doe and I've come to see Mr. Morris Edison."

She narrowed her eyes, looking suspiciously at his badge. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, already feeling guilty for not telling Lark. He had nothing to do and something about the case was bothering him. So, he made the trip. The Ark Sanatorium was a frightful place. It's corridors long, dark and filled with wails as lights flickered overhead. No wonder they called it the Dark Asylum.

"Who is in charge with whom I can speak?"

"That would be me. Dr Phillip, Mr. Edison is under my supervision." A tall man approached him. He wore a standard doctor's coat, his salt-and-pepper hair curling over the collar. Doe took the badge from the woman and showed it to him.

"I would like to speak to Mr. Edison. It's about his missing daughter, Annabelle."

As the man saw the badge, his look turned cold. "Don't you think you and your colleagues has done enough trouble?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Mr. Edison was in his recovery period when one of your so-called detectives waltzed in and harassed him. Thanks to her, he has now relapsed." Dr Phillip handed the badge back in disgust, "I think you should leave."

Just as he was about to call security, an old man waddled through a door. He was holding a plastic bottle close to his face, muttering. As he saw Dr Phillipe and Doe, his face lit up. "Alexander!

Doe startled as the short man grabbed his arm and peered into his face, his wispy, white hair sticking out in all directions. "How is your talking device coming!"

Doe looked at Dr Phillip, but received no sympathy, "My what?"

"Your telephone!" The man's face contorted into a smiling mass as he began to laugh, his mustache hopping up and down. "Oh! I see you've met Albert!" pointing at Dr Phillipe, which sighed.

"May I present Mr. Edison, he thinks we're all inventors."

Edison pulled at Doe's arm, loudly whispering, "Don't mind him! Albert's always been," He stuck his tongue out, "a bit on the crazy side. What with the e equals m something or other. Call me Thomas!"

Dr Phillipe rolled his eyes. Edison giggled, "You know Alexander," He pulled Doe's arm, "I would love to hear about your talking machine, please join me for a stroll." He pushed Doe towards the door, "Nothing like fresh air to get the mind working!"

Doe managed to look at Dr Phillip as he stood helpless and gave an apologetic grin. "Whatever you say, Thomas." He indicated to the water bottle, "I do believe I'm seeing a glow in that bulb…"

"Oh you!"

Edison maneuvered them to a walkway beneath large sycamore trees, their skeleton limbs reaching towards the snow laden clouds. As soon as they got out of hearing range, Edison's whole countenance changed. His face became serious, all signs of the vacant look in his eyes disappeared.

"Do you have a dream?" Edison's voice pierced the stillness. Doe cleared his throat, "Uh, wireless telephones?"

Edison chuckled, "The correct answer would have been 'Dreams are for cowards, action makes the victor'." He threw the bottle into a nearby bin.

"Look detective. You are obviously not one of them and I'm not crazy, so let's cut to the chase. My daughter isn't missing, she's been summoned."

"By whom?"

"The Sumnium Foundation, or The Dream. It's a dangerous game we started. And now they took my little Belle."

A caretaker walked by, smiling in their direction. Edison gave an exaggerated bow and giggled, "How is your brother Mr. Wright? Learned how to fly yet?" The caretaker waved back but walked past. Doe said nothing, just waited. He felt to exposed, feeling hundreds of eyes on his back staring from the dark windows of the sanatorium.

Edison scowled, "I admit, I was one of Sumnium's founding fathers. But I was young and selfish. The rush of adrenaline and money made it worthwhile. Until my little Belle was born, I left it all behind. But I knew my past will catch up to me, I just never expected it would be by Belle being destroyed."

He shuddered and leaned shakily against the sycamore. "I've said too much already." He pulled out a small piece of paper and gave it to Doe. "You can't trust anyone these days. Not with the Foundation as strong as it is." Edison rubbed his hands together, shivering a bit from the cold.

"Dr Phillipe said something about a colleague of mine?"

. "Yesterday a woman came to see me. Long black hair, Detective Wren or Sparrow or something."

Doe sucked in a deep breath, "Lark?"

"Yes. She is part of the Foundation. I've seen her before. So, I did what I always do when someone asks too much questions. I 'relapse'."

* * *

 _Please leave any comments or suggestions, they will be duly noted._

 _Kidding! I will take them to heart._

 _Or will I?_

 _*evil grin*_


	7. Doe and Lark: Beauty - Chapter 6

Doe sat silently in his office chair, slowly swiveling to and fro. The precinct was quiet, most of the officers on duty out on their night patrols. The conflicting emotions within him was churning into a sea of turmoil. The more he tried to reason with himself, the more doubt crept closer into his mind. Surely there must be an explanation for Lark's involvement? Maybe Annabelle's father really is as mad as a hatter. But how does that explain the note?

He slowly reached out to the piece of paper lying on his desk. The note cold in his hands. A clue that would have made him excited weeks ago, now only contributing to the knot in his stomach _. Pavillon de Chasse, Aston Hunter's private estate._

Should he carry on alone? Maybe talk with Lt. Andrews? He sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to relieve the throbbing in his head. No, he'll wait this out, pretend nothing happened. If she is a part of this whole scheme, then he has an advantage, if not, none will be the wiser.

* * *

 _If this was any other day or for any other occasion, she would have been thrilled and happy. But the multitude of beauty regimes and messages did nothing to relax her, only knotted her with tension. Amor was like a fluttering butterfly all around her. Clucking like a mother hen at her body's sad state, still recovering._

 _Her hands shook as she took the golden dress Amor laid on her bed, pulling the silken material over her head. As she stood in front of the mirror, she couldn't help feeling an intense fear come over her, shaking the skirt ending just below her knees. Her bare shoulders, barely covered by the small sleeves, shivered in angst._

 _She looked at her brown hair falling in curls down her back, a hairpiece holding the gathered curls in place. Amor's reflection gazed at hers through the mirror, the look of approval doing nothing to calm her nerves._

* * *

Doe stood outside the precinct's door, not at all ready to look Lark in the eye. He spent the remainder of his weekend tossing and turning, not sleeping a wink. He looked at her motorcycle resting on the curb of the street, took a deep breath and entered the building. The atmosphere was that of a typical Monday, general chaos and noise, a frenzy of activity. But for Doe, it felt like a walk to the gallows.

"Doe!" Lark appeared out of nowhere, her braid bouncing against her back as she fell into step beside him. Doe pasted on a smile, "Enjoyed your weekend? How's your Gran doing?" They walked towards their section of the office.

"Great! She looks really well, still recovering from her last bout of cold, though." Doe frowned slightly at her remark, unless her Gran was recovering in the sanatorium, he highly doubted her. She smiled at him, "And yours?"

"My what?" He looked blankly at her, noting her braid over her shoulder. Is that even real? Maybe she has red hair, or completely bald. It's probably a wig. What else has she been lying about? "Your weekend.", She lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah. Good…good." He pulled out his office chair and slumped in it, "Really good." He eyed her leather jacket. Probably fake as well.

Lark smirked, "For a really good weekend, you look like hell." She flopped in her chair and twirled around to face him.

"Hoping to close this case, is all."

"Speaking of, where should we begin today? Annabelle's roommate? Maybe talk with- "

"Actually," Doe took out the piece of paper Morris Edison gave him, "I think we should check this out."

Lark took the paper, "Do you really think we should pursue a hotel tycoon?" she frowned, "Who gave you this anyway?"

Doe sucked in a deep breath to calm himself, "An anonymous source. I'll go alone if that's what you want," he took the paper, "then you could visit your Gran again." He mentally kicked himself. So much for pretending nothing happened.

Lark's gaze turned to stone, her mouth hardened as she clenched her jaw. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that." She stood up and walked towards the exit, "I'll meet you at the car."

* * *

 _Amor led her through various corridors and rooms. The building was much larger than what she initially bargained for. Long carpeted halls branched off, creating a maze-like effect. She tried memorizing the way they came, but gave up after what felt like the hundredth turn. Finally, Amor came to stop before large gilded doors._

 _She automatically reached for her necklace, the thin golden circular pendant an exact replica of the larger circle inlaid with dark wood in the door. The once powerful feeling she used to have, knowing she was a part of something bigger, only mocked her now._

 _Slowly Amor knocked on the door and turned around. She smiled, "Sweet dreams, Annabelle."_

* * *

They drove for hours. The woods becoming denser with each passing mile. Doe tried small talk but Lark's clipped responses soon drove them in to strained silence. The temperatures decreased as they drove further north, dark gathering clouds blocking out the sun. Large sleet-like snow began falling, causing Doe to groan, waking Lark.

"Did you talk to them?" Lark yawned, "Hunter's people?"

"And give them a heads-up? Not likely." Doe turned left onto a country lane, "I hope we get there before the snow gets worse, I don't like the look of those clouds."

"How far do we still need to go?" Lark took the GPS and tapped the screen, "It just says 'searching for satellite'."

"A few more miles I hope. It's really getting bad." The snow came down hard as the wind drove it on to the road. Doe slowed the car significantly down, practically crawling through the blizzard. He peered through the windscreen, trying to get a clear view of the road. "I'm going to pull over, this is too dangerous."

"Wait!" Lark shouted, "There it is!"

A large shadow with dozens of blinking lights greeted them from the trees between gaps of falling snow. Relieved Doe accelerated, eager to get out of the worsening weather.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Aubrey. That was totally unnecessary and uncalled for." They drove through large cast iron gates, held fast by pillars of stone, carved wolves peering down at the visitors.

Lark sighed, "We'll talk about this later." As they approached the mansion, it became clear that the architecture was inspired by some kind of Gothic French era. Gargoyles perched on the roof, their sinister smiles frightening in the shadows of the falling snow, dark ivy framed the stonework. Doe parked the car beneath the covered entrance, trying to think of something to say. Lark didn't sound angry but the tension seemed to triple between them.

They climbed out, making their way to the large wooden doors. Lark was about to use the large bear-like door knocker when the door swung open. An elderly lady, stood in the doorway. "Please, come in." She stepped aside, "We were expecting you." Doe forced himself not to look at Lark.

The soft yellow light from the wall lamps bathed her soft white hair into a wispy golden halo. Her short motherly frame made her stark black uniform appear soft and friendly. She smiled as a young teen joined them. "My son, Nick." The lanky teen winked at Lark, accentuating the slit in his eyebrow. "He will take care of your car and luggage." She laid a hand on Doe's forearm, "Oh, I do hope you brought some things? The weather is absolutely frightful."

Doe reluctantly gave the boy the keys, and smiled at the her, "One can never be too prepared. Since we are expected, I assume you know who we are, Mrs…?"

"Of course, dear." She chuckled, "You may call me Mrs. Crock."

* * *

 _*laughs apologetically*_

 _Yeah… for some reason, I was having a lot of trouble with these names, but I hope they grow on you._

 _*Shudders at creepy thought*_


End file.
